A total of 29 players born in Cuba have played at least one game in Major League Baseball during the 2026 season, according to a count published by Pelota Cubana, confirming a historic presence of players from the Island in the best baseball in the world.
The number exceeds 26 Cubans that MLB officially recorded in the Opening Day rosters of 2026, which is already a historic high for Cuba that broke the previous record of 23 reached in 2016, 2017, and 2022.
The most important thing is that the list is not finalized: there is more than a month left in the regular season, and several Cuban players remain in the Minor Leagues waiting for their chance to move up.
With the September roster expansions on the horizon, "there is still room for new names to be added to this list," noted Pelota Cubana.
The Cuban representation in this campaign brings together very diverse profiles: established figures, players who have returned to the highest level, and young talents who have received their first opportunity in the Major Leagues.
Among the established names, Yordan Álvarez (Houston Astros) stands out as an MVP candidate with a .317 batting average, 36 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a 1.040 OPS, alongside veterans such as Aroldis Chapman, Jorge Soler, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, Raisel Iglesias, Adolis García, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
The new generation is also in the spotlight: Miguel Vargas (Chicago White Sox) hit 28 home runs in August, making history for that franchise, while Andy Pagés (Los Angeles Dodgers) began the season as the batting leader in MLB.
There were also memorable debuts: pitcher Orlando Ribalta made a great impression in his debut with the Washington Nationals on April 14, pitching a perfect inning without any runs, hits, or walks.
Another story of perseverance was that of César Prieto, who returned to the Major Leagues with the Cardinals in August to fill in for Lars Nootbaar, marking his third call-up to the Majors.
The most notable collective milestone of the season arrived on July 14 at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia, for which seven Cubans were selected: Yordan Álvarez, Andy Pagés, Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, and Miguel Vargas.
That participation was the second largest in the event's history for Cuba, surpassed only by the eight Cubans in the 2023 All-Star Game.
The complete list of the 29 Cubans in MLB during 2026 includes Franco Alemán, Raynel Delgado, Kendry Rojas, Yunior Tur, Lázaro Estrada, Víctor Mesa Jr., Luis Morales, César Prieto, Edgar Quero, Andy Pagés, Orlando Ribalta, Yariel Rodríguez, Víctor Mederos, Yennier Cano, Miguel Vargas, Andy Ibáñez, Johan Oviedo, Luis Robert Jr., Yordan Álvarez, Randy Arozarena, Adrián Morejón, Adolis García, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Cionel Pérez, Yandy Díaz, Yoán Moncada, Raisel Iglesias, Jorge Soler, and Aroldis Chapman.
With the calls in September yet to occur, "the number could still increase, as there is more than a month left on the calendar and several players continue to seek an opportunity from the Minor Leagues," concluded Pelota Cubana.
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